Maryam Rezaei
Chrissoula Manolakaki
Panos Chreppas
Stamatis Tsagias
Asimeni TountaMakiko Ishida & Aris Karabas
They say love conquers all… Love takes you over and above… makes a pain go away… makes you follow it no matter how far… makes you find your path and be creative, Or do we become creative and change our paths to follow our hearts and keep our love alive? Aris and Makiko, have it all… they are a couple with completely different backgrounds, travelled thousands of miles far from home to find themselves and their dream but only to find each other and create a path together! They are what we call “meant to be together” …taking one step at a time and talking through everything together business and pleasure! Even though talking isn’t both of their fortes, but they manage! :)
Their story starts with both Aris Karabas and Makiko Ishida wanting more… wanting to be free and creating the life they wanted no matter how many miles they had to travel! Aris Karabas from Greece, started his career as a sound technician for different events and companies in Greece but as he says, regardless of how much he worked he would always find himself behind the cost of his living and also, he just wanted more to life that classic 9-5 work and fun! In 2008 he travelled to Toronto Canada, to find a future there at his cousins construction company! And things started to look good for him in terms of career. On the other hand, Makiko Ishida from Japan, had been travelling due to her father’s career all around the world from the age of three. And travelling never left her spirit as she always felt like “escaping” her country to meet the world! After her University, she decided to go for one year in Toronto Canada, for through a work-study visa and 6months later she meets her other half, Aris, in a language school! Amazing, right? When things are meant to be, they are really meant to be… after her visa expired, there were only two choices; to break up or find a way to be together! So, Makiko applied for college there and got accepted. Three years there together, they had had quite enough of the cold weather and longlines, and travelled back to Japan together and decided to start their life together there!
The beautiful thing about their story is how both of their families accepted their relationship so warmly and with open arms! As both cultures are very “closed” and have strong belief in their routs! Makiko and Aris trying to find a way to support their life together, thought of many ideas such as exporting car parts from Japan to Greece. But sometimes the answer is right in our laps… Aris being Greek, and Greeks love olive oil and use it everywhere, and having a hard time finding good quality olive oil and at a decent price to cook his favourite foods, he knew what he had to do; to import it from Greece! And as he says: “we were either going to sell it or use it ourselves, either way it was a win-win situation!”. And that was it; they sold 40 bottles in one week! After all, Greek olive oil is one of the best in the world! Today in only 1,5 year they are importing, olive oil, honey, olives and many other Greek goodies to Japan! But they haven’t just opened a market in Japan for the Greek products but also adverting it too! As many of their friends and clients want to visit the lovey and beautiful country and the origin of all the delicious products!
Aris and Makiko are truly beautiful together… Makiko is the logic and the economic brain and Aris is the creative and business behind their lovely company! After so many years together they have so much respect and love for one another but also respect for both cultures… even though Aris misses the yummy Greek Gyros more than he can stand!
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